After three years, I have finally returned to the Motherland: Italy. My 10 days in Italy were filled with family – including meeting the newest addition and my love, Noah (above) – and naturally, many many delicious eats. Throughout my time away, I’ve been recreating Italian dishes, from my go-to dinner of spaghetti aglio e olio to sweeter creations like my creamy tiramisu cups (gf + v). As always, I meticulously planned several restaurants to hit during my time in Milan, where my grandparents live.

THE FISHERMAN PASTA, Seafood

I’ll admit this: I’ve been craving spaghetti alle vongole for months now. So getting this dish right was a top priority for me on Day One. Since we arrived to Milan during Fer Agosto – a time when most of Italy is on vacation – only a limited number of restaurants were open. Luckily, the Fisherman Pasta was one of them.

What did we order?

• Spaghetti alle Vongole Veraci (9,90€)
• Calamarata (9,90€)
• Tartare Salmone e Avocado (9€)
• Spiedo di Gamberoni e Guanciale (9€)

Spaghetti alle vongole are spaghetti with clams, and are traditionally cooked with olive oil, clam juice, a splash of white wine, and a sprinkle of parsley – no butter. The spaghetti were buoyant, the perfect accomplice to the equally fresh and briney clams. Adding a crack of black pepper added the right amount of zing! Along with the spaghetti alle vongole, my brother added a tartar of salmon and avocado which he enjoyed with some soy sauce. This was nonna’s first time at a restaurant since COVID, and she went for the calamarata dish, which is paccheri pasta with tomato sauce and calamari (not fried). She enjoyed this with a side of grilled shrimp with guanciale. The prices were astonishingly low, especially in comparison to the US, where dishes like these would exceed $20. If the size is too small, you can also opt for a large.

BUGANDE, Italian

A walk through the happening district of Navigli allowed me to stumble upon this beautiful, elegant restaurant. We booked this restaurant for our last supper in Italy, and it was probably my favorite restaurant in Milano during my stay.

• I Nostri Ravioli al Nero di Seppia ripieni di Baccalà mantecato in Guazzetto di Mare e Datterini gialli (18€)
• Linguine Mancini con Vongole Veraci, Bottarga di Muggine ai profumi di Agrumi (17€)
• Ossobuco di vitello, con risotto classico alla Milanese (27€)
• Cotoletta alla Milanese con Patate Rustiche e Insalatina Estiva (29€)
• Bouquet di verdure Grigliate (zucchine, melanzane, carote, porro, peperoni ) (7€)
• Insalata mista (6€)
• Limoncello (free)

My family members loved their ravioli, cotoletta, and ossbuco. My dish was the linguine, which was generously enriched with vongole (clams), making it worth the price. It brought an effortlessly salty quality to the pasta. I also had my first taste of limoncello which was a great digestive for the end of the meal.

OGGI, Gelato

Proper gelato is hard to come by in America. Luckily, in Milano, it’s only steps away. Oggi’s gelato caught my eye with one detail: the gelato is not visible. In other words, it is not in the open air, but rather in tubs under the counter. This is a tell-tale sign of a gelateria that takes its craft seriously.

What did we order?

• Medium cup of fondente gelato (3,70€)
• Small cone with melted chocolate and yogurt gelato (2,70€)
• Big cup of fondente and nocciola gelato (4,70€)

When I see a vegan fondente (extra dark chocolate) gelato on the menu, it’s hard for me to venture for any other flavor. While it’s dark, succulent, and dangerous, it still remains to be one of the lighter flavors thanks to its water-base. Non posso resistere.

If you need the extra credentials to visit this spot, I saw a private food tour stopping by so it’s definitely a place to visit!

CASIMIRO, Gelato

If a high end boutique took the form of a gelateria, Casimiro would be it. I got a cone with fondente gelato and frutti di bosco (mixed berry). Absolutely delicious.

IL FELICE, Gelato

I think the award for best fondente gelato might be here! We got a late night gelato here with my uncle Davide, who we endearingly call Cacio – after the cheese.

GELATERIA LA ROMANA, Gelato

Again, my order was fondente. This one is a bit lighter and less intense than the others, but no less delicious.

MARCHESI, Pastries

Founded in 1824, Pasticceria Marchesi is one of Milan’s oldest and finest pastry shops. I was recommended here by Andrea Rasca, one of the founders of Mercato Metropolitano, after meeting him in London. According to him, this place has the best tiramisu. I was willing to indulge in some dairy, and after all, the portions are small. This tiramisu is ethereally light and creamy. The lightly sweet and fluffy mascarpone really allows the flavor of the espresso to bloom on the palate. I paired it with an americano coffee.

USEFUL WORDS

If you find yourself in Italy one day, it might be helpful to have some words up your sleeve.

Greetings

• Ciao –> Hello
• Buongiorno –> Good morning or Good day
• Arrivederci or ciao (again) –> Good bye
• Come stai? (Informal) and Come sta? (Formal) –> How are you?
  • RESPONSE: Sto bene, grazie. –> I’m good, thank you.

Conversation

• Da dove vieni? (Informal) and Da dove viene? (Formal) –> Where are you from?
  • RESPONSE: Vengo da ___ –> I’m from ___
• Come ti chiami? (Informal) and Come si chiama? (Formal) –> What’s your name?
  • RESPONSE: Mi chiamo___ –> My name is ___
• Cosa ti piace a fare? (Informal) and Cosa le piace a fare? (Formal) –> What do you like to do?
  • RESPONSE: Mi piace ___ –> I like to ___
    • Cucinare – to cook
    • Ballare – to dance
    • Fare sport – to play sports
    • Viaggiare – to travel
• Vorrei ___ –> I would like ___
• Grazie –> Thank you
• Prego –> You’re welcome

Slang

At this point, you probably know I love learning slang. There are a lot of Italian slang words, but there aren’t many that are clean. But I’ve got you covered! Here are some that are staples in the Italian language.

• In bocca al lupo –> Good luck!
  • It means literally “into the mouth of the wolf”
  • RESPONSE: Crepi il lupo.
• Figurati! –> Don’t worry about it!
• Dai! –> Come on! Stop it!
• Meno male –> Thank goodness